Below are some of the questions you may have about the CineVista™ Lens

How does the CineVista compare to the using the Zoom mechanism found on some projectors?
With a Panamorph CineVista you gain 33% more pixels and a 30% brighter image with full resolution as compared to the Zoom method where you actually lose resolution. Zoom uses 25% FEWER pixels to fill 80% MORE screen area, reducing brightness and making your image look grainy. For more information download the CineVista vs. Zoom PDF.

Are the projectors listed on the What's Needed page the only ones that I can use with the CineVista™?
No. There are so many projectors on the market, we can't list them all.  Most importantly your projector should be designed for home theater use, not a business projector.  Next, make sure your projector has the correct aspect modes. If you have a specific projector you want to check please contact us at info@panamorph.com

What aspect modes do I need?
Each projector manufacturer has their own name for the two modes, so we created a list of the mode names on the What's Needed page on this website.  

What if I have an existing home theater projector but it doesn't have the right aspect modes?
There are a few options.  First, a few Blu-ray players have the correct aspect modes built-in. Oppo and Sony are two manufacturers with this feature. Please check the player's manual for the availability of this feature. Second, you could purchase a separate scalar to work with your system.

Should I get a 2.40:1 screen or a 2.35:1 screen?
Either screen aspect ratio will work.  Here are the differences:

A 2.40:1 screen is better if your projector is at less than a 2.6 throw ratio (based on screen height) from the screen

A 2.35:1 screen is better if your projector is at more than a 2.6 throw ratio (based on screen height)from the screen

The reason that a 2.40:1 is better for shorter distances is because as you move the projector closer to the screen, the image becomes wider. 

Another factor in your decision is that a significant number of movies have been made in the wider 2.39:1 aspect ratio although most of the newest movies are 2.35:1.  If you put a 2.39:1 movie on a 2.35:1 screen you may see a sliver of black bars on the image.  They will be very thin, however, roughly 7 pixels of black on top and bottom.

Within what throw distances will the CineVista work?
Throw distance is how far your projector is from your screen.  The CineVista was designed to work in average sized home entertainment areas and can be used for throw distances between 6 and 18 ft (1.83 and 5.49 m). You should always use throw distance in conjunction with your throw ratio to make sure your screen size is also compatible with the capabilities of your projector and the CineVista lens.

How do I determine my throw ratio?
Throw ratio is how far your projector is from your screen, compared to the height of the screen.  So if your screen is 47" high and your projector is 144" from the screen (12 ft), then your throw ratio is 144 / 47 which equals 3.06.  Please make sure when you do this calculation you are using the same unit of measure.

The CineVista™ does not have chromatic correction. What in the world is that?
Chromatic distortion is a technical term that is used to describe when a lens does not focus all colors in a pixel to a single point. This can be seen as "fringes" of color along the boundaries that separate dark and light parts of an image, because each color does not align correctly. Chromatic correction fixes the distortion. Panamorph's custom lenses have this feature, however, to reduce the cost of the Cinevista™ lens, we had to leave this feature out.

From a practical standpoint, if you look at an image from a CineVista™ lens, you may see a fringe of a color on a white border, particularly if the white border is near the left or right edge of the screen. However, since you will be watching moving images, the color fringing will be much less noticeable than if you looked at a static image like a test pattern.

Is there anything I can do to correct the chromatic if it bothers me?
Panamorph is working with projector manufacturers to include the ECC feature in their projectors.  There are a few manufacturers that have this feature currently and they are listed on our What's Needed page.  This new feature allows you to correct small sections of the image at a time to reduce the chromatic distortion and enhance an already spectacular picture. Please check your projector's specifications to see if it has this feature.